Sunday, September 02, 2007

Clark Admits: Kelty's Election Party's Highest Priority

It doesn't get any more specific than this. Yes, State GOP Chairman Murray Clark places a higher priority on the election of an indicted first-time candidate for mayor of Fort Wayne than a first-time GOP candidate for mayor of the state's largest city where the incumbent mayor's re-elect numbers are in the tank. The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette's Benjamin Lanka writes today in story discussing the GOP's problem with Matt Kelty:

I wanted to take a look at what is going on there politically and how we can be helpful,” he said. “I know we have a little bit of a family fight going on up there. But Fort Wayne and Allen County is a hotbed of very strong, effective Republican leaders.

“Steve is doing the right thing. He is supporting our candidate and that’s the way it should be.”

Clark acknowledges the Fort Wayne mayoral race to be one of the state party’s top priorities this year because it is the largest city with an open seat.

On the one hand, you have a man who runs around telling everybody how important his Christian beliefs are but who is challenged when it comes to telling the truth. On the other hand, you have a straight-talking candidate with unquestioned integrity. One man brags about being a walk on player for the Notre Dame football team (he wasn't). The other man had a distinguished career in the military serving his country but doesn't wear it on his sleeve. Not a tough choice for a party leader, unless you have your own agenda for making sure the good guy loses.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Although I'm not a Republican, I get no glee from this mess. Both parties, over time, have their Keltys to clean up.

But what exactly was the state chairman supposed to do?

He took one day out of his law practice, went to the Summit City, looked around, spat out basically rudamentary platitudes, hurt no one, and was home for dinner.

Not exactly what Gordon Durnil would've done, but hey, it's not 1980, either.

To me, it looks like Murray made nice and promised nothing. His party is gonna lose Ft. Wayne, and they should've won it. Their candidate is a loose cannon, and frankly, they'd be worse if he DID pull out a win.

This way, Murray can't be accused of abandoning the Allen County Party. He placated the far right Christian fundamentalists, which he needs next year.

The Allen County GOP sounds like the Marion County Democratic Party of the 70s: a circular firing squad.

Anonymous said...

Murray Clark just directed his actives with the knowledge in his mind what many people refuse to acknowledge. The Marion County GOP failed to field a serious candidate and therefore, there is no ball game. Plain and simple. It may be a little closer than thought a year ago but it is no contest. The GOP is playing the game the Dems in Indy used to play. Let's see if we can keep our loss below 50,000 votes.

Anonymous said...

"..to be one of the state party’s top priorities this year."

ONE OF, Gary. That's not the same as highest. Do I detect a bit of Indy-centrism here? That if any other city is given equal priority with Indianapolis that somehow Indy is being shorted, because OF COURSE no other city can be even in the same league as Indianapolis.

Chill.

Gary R. Welsh said...

Fort Wayne Democrat, It's based on fact. The state GOP is doing absolutely nothing for Ballard's campaign. What Clark did for Kelty last week was more of an effort than anything he's done for Ballard.